


Mind games

by Nirmalneaners



Series: unofficially official [14]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Anger, Bruce Has Issues, Clark has a plan, Flirting, Idiots in Love, Sexual Tension, Unresolved Emotional Tension, justice league - Freeform, justice luague meeting, mentions of Flash - Freeform, mentions of alfred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 11:12:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16617875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nirmalneaners/pseuds/Nirmalneaners
Summary: The next thing he knew he had a very angry, pissed off face right up by his. And boy, was this not what he wanted. He saw the fire lit in his eyes, and he really couldn't help it when he looked down to his lips this time. A tongue darted out, and it seemed unintentional as Bruce bristled again like he realised what he'd done."You may act all innocent, Kent, but you don't fool me for a second." He snarled, pausing for effect as he stared dangerously. "Whatever game your playing, it ends now."





	Mind games

It's always an experience when a persons beliefs are challenged. It feels like a personal attack on the very foundations of his life, makes him revaluate everything he thought he knew and everything he drew that belief from. Kicks in the instinct to either run from the threat to his ideals or fight it, and he did run at first. He broke his record time flying away from Wayne manor, tail tucked between his legs, to hide in his fortress and lick his wounds. It was a solid week of pacing through hallways and pointedly diverting Jor-els masked questions as a _thump thump_ echoed quietly in his ears like an echo.

It was a week before it hit him.

Bruce was stubborn, but so was Clark when he wanted something. And as he sat in the observatory room, a hand to his lips as he felt the phantom softness of Bruce's, he realised something. Bruce never _pushed_ _him away_. Sure, he was in shock, but anyone else would have been the one to break it off, not Clark himself. _Bruce had let him_. And well, after that realisation more bombarded him like a damn opened. He's held Bruce in his arms in battle, and Bruce _let him_. He helped Alfred with cooking, and he _let him_. He went there for dinner most nights, and _he had let him_. He fed Bruce, and he no complaint despite all of this happening before they entered the fake relationship. He never noticed it before, but now that he had he couldn't focus on anything else.

So Clark left the fortress and fell back into his normal routines, he returned to league meetings, he visited his ma and he went back to work, and Lois had looked at him with a mischievous smile like she had noticed his new set resolve and approved. He had waved at her as he left work that day, and she slapped him on the arm and said _go get your man tiger_.

And he would because Alfred was right in the end. He knew it would be a challenge to get Bruce, but well, it wouldn't be fun any other way. And he wouldn't be Bruce if he made it easy.

So Clark came up with a plan, he sat and thought about it long and hard. He wanted Bruce on edge, wanted him being conscious of Clark all the time. He wanted to be on his mind all the time. So, he did the thing Bruce would never expect. At first, he acted as if nothing happened. In fact, he went beyond that, he acted as if he was on top of the world.

He could tell it made him anxious, every time it was just the two of them he tensed up, eyes looking at him in suspicion like he was waiting for Clark to corner him again about it. But instead he would walk off and leave Bruce squinting at his back. They fell into an uneasy truce that it wasn't to be talked about, because he knew Bruce would never confront him about it. So he waited and didn't go to step two until Bruce no longer looked like he was deciding between running or punching him in the face. He waited until he got somewhat comfortable, but still consumed enough about their situation to be off kilter.

Then he started to increase his touching. It would be little things like gripping his shoulder when he said goodbye, accidently brushing his hand when they went over plans, sitting a little too close as they ate in the cafeteria. Still, it pushed Bruce back into that fight or flight state of mind, his hand pulling back from Clarks like it got burnt. And just when it looked like Bruce might finally snap at him, Clark would stop it all and near enough ignore him. He'd sit with Diana at lunch, he'd just say bye in passing as he was leaving the watch tower, he wouldn't always answer Bruce's texts.

He'd sway back and forth every few months, and then sometimes he mix it up. Any maybe that was his mistake. He never really stopped to think about how- or who was involved in this little experiment. He could see Bruce was getting more and more agitated, hell the amount of monthly complaints against the man were increasing the longer it went on. He thought it was a good sign though, stupidly, and that might explain how he's ended up in some sort of cross fire _pissing contest_.

It started fine, the meeting was going as well as it normally would. Green lantern and Batman butted heads as usual, flash earnt himself a scowl that left him hidden behind his report sheet and Clark was sitting beside the man in black watching everything with an amused expression. They were discussing tactics, and Clark took this time to add in little compliments about Bruce's ideas and his genius that earnt himself a squint. And the rest of the time he just watched him. That apparently, was his biggest mistake out of everything. 

He looked over his suit, taking in the mans body as he talked. He admired his lips, licking his own when he knew Bruce looked over. And every time Bruce turned to face his way after making a point, he stared into his eyes. Even when they spoke, he never glanced away like he usually does. He saw the confusion start to embed itself, a questioning look sent his way every now and then after they finished talking and they were left staring at each other for enough time that wasn't exactly appropriate. Someone in the room usually coughed, and then Batman would bristle and look back to Diana as she talked.

He could see Bruce becoming uneasy, being pushed back to that edge but it was going fine, until it _really wasn't_. Seemed he took advantage of that unspoken rule, and Clark had finally found Bruce's breaking point. He had just finished relaying his tactical report and had looked to Clark again, and he stared at the other man to show his attention. And that's when shit hit the fan, literally. All it took was a smirk. Bruce's eyes widened before turning into slits, his whole body changing to a more aggressive stance in the blink of an eye as he rose from his chair, scraping it back with an echoing screech. Everyone froze as Bruce breathed heavily, the sound of his heartbeat spiking in Clarks ears like alarm bells.

"Whatever it is you're doing, _stop it_." was spat out. Clark realised a little too late that he may have taken it too far, his plan falling apart around him as all he could do was stare up into angry eyes. "I've had enough of _this_. If you have something to say, _Superman_ , just say it."

He gaped, he really couldn't help it, he just didn't understand what the hell just happened. He looked to the others for help, saw some looking away awkwardly, others giving him a confused look. J'onn just looked like he was in pain. He slowly stood, his hands out in a placating gesture, one of a tamer trying to calm an animal.

"No, no uh, problem." He said quietly, a nervous smile playing on his lips.

The next thing he knew he had a very angry, pissed off face right up by his. And boy, was this not what he wanted. He saw the fire lit in his eyes, and he really couldn't help it when he looked down to his lips this time. A tongue darted out, and it seemed unintentional as Bruce bristled again like he realised what he'd done.

"You may act all innocent, Kent, but you don't fool me for a _second_." He snarled, pausing for effect as he stared dangerously. "Whatever game your playing, it _ends now_."

By the point, they were both breathing heavy, the atmosphere a mix of ferocity and something else. Bruce's eyes boring into his as hard as Clark was staring back, looking at each others mouths, he wasn't sure if he was going to get punched or kissed right then, and although he knew he had fucked up it conformed something all the same. Alfred had been right, they all had. And he won't lie and say he wasn't nervous, but he felt his pants getting a little restricted at the look in his eyes and Bruce seemed to feel it too. In the end though he got neither a fist or a kiss, his gaze following the whip of a black cape as Batman fled out of the meeting room. As soon as the door clicked close he breathed out shakily, and everyone's silence broke in an instant.

"Are you two arguing or roleplaying?" Hal asked, snickering into his hand at Clarks bewildered look. "Either way you were asking for that pissing contest, you kept staring the beast out. I'm surprised he kept his cool that long." He stood and the others followed his example. "I'm always happy to see him being pissed off though, makes my day that much more entertaining."

"I think it is safe to assume this meeting has come to a close," Diana announced, giving him a confused look that he just shrugged at. "If you will excuse me."

They filtered out the room after that, Clark watched them leave one by one until only he and J'onn remained. He was still sat in his chair, a hand rubbing his temple and looking like he had no intention of following the others.

"You alright J'onn?"

"I have a matter to discuss with you."

Clark nodded, sitting back in his seat.

"As you know I am a telepath, and although I do not purposely read the mind of others, strong emotions are hard to ignore. More precisely, the emotions emitting from yourself and Batman plague me."

He never thought about that, to be honest, "Oh," was all he could find to say.

John looked at him seriously, "I do not want to impose, but the battering on my mental shields is wearing thinner and thinner around the both of you. I am aware of the situation, and I am aware of what you are trying to do, so for the sake of myself may I offer a different approach?"

Clark couldn't help it as he blushed, stuttering over his words, "Um- J'onn, w-what would you have in mind?"

"How do you catch a bat?"

"What?" he asked, unsure if that was a metaphor or not. J'onn was a man hard to read at times, after all.

"The animal," he clarified,

"Uh, I'd imagine you trap it?"

"Bats are creatures of habit. They have a route, a pattern that they follow religiously. You catch them with nets. However, if you use a normal net the Bat will see it as an obstacle and avoid it." It took a moment, but Clark realised what J'onn was getting at. "You must use a very fine net, one the bat cannot see coming and wait for it to get caught. If you don't you will be hunting forever."

His approach was the bad net then, he supposed. Had proof of it really. He saw what J'onn was saying though, and he smiled at him as he stood.

"Thanks John,"

"Batman will be on monitor duty next Friday," he nodded,  "Make of that as you will."

He grinned this time and started walking towards the door, a new plan in mind.

After all, he had his net now, he just needed to wait to claim his prize.


End file.
